Application Of Cooperative Learning Method To English Teaching At Technical Colleges

English is a compulsory course for technical students and it is important for them to learn English well.To motivate and encourage the students,the author has done a number of experiments in English teaching,some of which are effective and others ineffective.Among the effective approaches tried,the Cooperative Learning(CL)method turns out to be the most useful and helpful.To prove if CL is indeed effective and,if yes,how effective it is,the author conducted an experiment on CL in English teaching for one term.The experiment is carried out in a class of Pharmaceutical Department enrolled in 2016 in the technical college and this class is called the experimental class.Another class from the same grade in Pharmaceutical Department,which has the similar academic level in the beginning of the semester,is set as a control class.By comparing the two classes,if CL is helpful and how helpful it is for English teaching can be shown more clearly.The research instruments used include tests,questionnaires,interviews,and class observations.By analyzing the data collected,the author finds Cooperative Learning(CL)method is indeed helpful for teaching technical students' English,and it can be concluded in four aspects:(1)it helps to arouse students' interest in English;(2)it activates students' learning initiative;(3)it enhances participation in English classes;(4)it improves English teaching obviously;(5)it fosters students' comprehensive competences.Nevertheless,CL also has its demerits,but this gives the author room to do further research and reflection concerning English teaching at technical colleges.